Love Tonic
by Birdie Ruskin
Summary: Megumi has the ultmate love potion to give to Kenshin. But Kaoru doesn't think it will work...


I own nothing, not even the love potion. I was bored the oher day soI went online to find some spells to cast and ended up on potions whereI found this love potion...althoughI did change the ingredients a little.

**Kaoru**X**Kenshin**

Love Potion

Kaoru starred at Kenshin who was happily doing the laundry outside. She blushed as she looked down at the paper she held in her hand.

"This is stupid..." she said quietly as she backed away from the doorway and walked into the dojo. "These things don't really work right? It's like voodoo and black magic...it's all a scam."

Kaoru walked to the kitchen, earlier Kaoru and Yahiko had gone to Megumi's clinic to visit her and Dr. Gensai. Of course, when a fox and a raccoon are in the same room with each other, hell was bound to break loose.

Megumi countered that she had the recipe to the ultimate love potion to make Kenshin fall in love with her. Kaoru frowned in both frustration at Megumi and jealousy. She was pathetic, Megumi was more open about her feelings to Kenshin, and because of that she has a way better chance at having Kenshin than she does; hiding her feelings all the time and beating him up for asking questions of that nature.

"I'm pathetic..." Kaoru admitted out loud to herself remembering what happened afterwards, Yahiko was then got caught in a conversation he didn't like and it involved Tsubame-chan. He was fuming and suddenly declared he wanted to leave ASAP.

Kaoru the same, but first she declared that she needed to go outside for some fresh air and to say good-bye to Ayame and Suzume. She never went outside.

Instead she ended up in the operation room, which Megumi and Gensai so frequently used to save patients. She frowned in remembrance at what Megumi had cooed: '_love potion...makes Kenshin...fall in love..._' her voice echoed.

Kaoru smiled sadly, "If only it were that easy." and then it disappeared as she put her face in her hands in self-pity. "It should've been _Megumi_ not _me_...who went to Kyoto. I was so weak and pathetic, she was so _strong_...and the boy, Yahiko...I don't deserve...to lo—"

Yahiko had then burst in. He followed Kaoru into the room and then decided to smack her around for lying about going outside. He was about to yell to get the hell out so they could leave. Apparently Megumi went way too far with the teasing.

"H-Hai." She said, with out giving Yahiko the chance to even speak or shout, he stared at her as she left, with dots in his eyes wondering what the heck she was doing. He turned back to the room she was just in and stood there for a moment, Kaoru remembered...

"Baka!" she said to no one, "Then stupid Yahiko came out with this stupid recipe, he said '_oh, no it's not what you think I'm not using Megumi's recipe on Tsubame!_' but I know better. He really wanted to know if it works."

She looked at her hand, "As do _I_..." she had copied the ingredients when Yahiko wasn't around. "_Kenshin_..." she uttered, "Kenshin...will this _really_ work? Will you..._really_..." she couldn't finish the sentence for fear it would raise false hope.

What if it _didn't_ work? Then all her efforts and expectations would be for nothing!

Kaoru trotted to the cabinet looking for some sugar and honey, once again when no one was around she went to the store to buy roses, and minted leaves. "See, now I'm wasting even my money on this nonsense." She moaned.

But she frowned, "But then why am I doing it? Do I really want Kenshin that **_bad_**? Would I resort to some farce like Megumi's love potion to get him; to have him; to keep him all for myself?" she reddened a deep shade and looked to the table she had put all the ingredients on. "I'm so selfish." She said.

She read the list, "All right, I have everything so all I need to do is add the right proportions," she grumbled underneath her breath. She's a horrible cook, don't forget, and this drink is just the same as dinner, "I hope I can at least do this right! I mean it **_is_** for Kenshin, right?" she asked no one in particular.

Kaoru read the list over for the third time:

"A recipe for Megumi's **Love Potion. **She calls it 'Zephyr'To make another person fall in love with you add:  
5 pinches of rosemary  
4 teaspoons of black tea  
2 pinches thyme  
2 pinches nutmeg  
2 fresh mint leaves  
6 fresh rose petals  
6 lemon leaves  
3 cups pure spring water  
Sugar  
Honey

Brew this tea together and in addition recite these words:

I PREPARE THIS TEA  
TO MAKE KENSHIN DESIRE ME.

Drink some of the tea and say:

DIVINITY OF LOVE  
HEAR NOW MY PLEA  
LET KENSHIN DESIRE ME!  
SO MAKE IT BE  
SO MAKE IT BE..."

Kaoru remained silent, "It says I should prepare it at night, when the moon shines..."

"Oi, Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin calls walking inside, "I finished the chores, so should I get dinner started?" Kaoru looks to Kenshin and then out her window to see the sun being swallowed by the horizon.

Kenshin looked confused, did she even hear him? "Kaoru-don—oro!" he was cut off by a happy-go-lucky; "**Let's go have tea Kenshin**!"

"Huh? Tea?"

"Yes! I made this tea and I think you'll like it! And, I know the **perfect** spot!" she chimed, "Uh, okay, sure, but what about dinner?" She waved her hand, "Believe me when I say that Yahiko will be at the Akabeko drin—I mean **eating** with Tsubame and Sano will be out gambling tonight so it's just us and I'm not all that hungry."

She grabbed his blue kimono sleeve and ran out the door with the tea in a pot in her hand, "Let's go!"

"Oro!" she heard behind her and laughed.

It was dark by the time she and Kenshin, reached the '_perfect spot'_. Kenshin looked around silently when she let go of him, "Kaoru-dono—"

"Kenshin do you remember when you said good-bye to me here? _Even standing here now, I still think this place looks the same, except we can't watch the fireflies tonight_..."

Kenshin took a step to her, she sat down her legs to the side, he sat beside her putting down his reverse-blade, "Kaoru-dono, I—why don't you— I mean, back then when I saw you and Yahiko and Misao-dono and you asked me if I was upset...I said I was half, but, Kaoru-dono I really should've asked _you_ that question, you should've been the one was upset not me. I should've known that you'd follow me, I'm sure everyone else realized that as well,"

She felt her heart scrunch, in reality Kenshin was giving her way too much praise, it was really _Megumi_ who gave her the strength, it should've **_been Megumi_** who went instead of her, Kenshin deserves someone so much stronger...

"But," he continued, "I didn't do **my** part. You all were looking out for me you said you would protect me with everything you had. And I left anyway..." he chuckled curtly. It was dry and a really forced out laugh, "You know Kaoru-dono, while I was fighting The Juppongatana back in Kyoto, I received news that Aoiya was being attacked from the same man that saved Misao-dono from Usui of the Shingan's eye."

"Oh?" It was all she could say, she really didn't know where he was going with this since it was all in the past and they were supposed to be having _tea_.

"And as Sano and I approached the next Juppongatana member, the young man told me of how the Juppongatana _lost_ to you all at the Aoiya. And he also told me something else: '_That the strong always live and the weak die_.' I realized afterwards that it was Shishio who had taught him that. After my battle with that young man I told him that instead he should go out and find his own answers someday instead of always believing that life is about the winners being right and the losers being wrong..._or weak_...but _Kaoru-dono_..."

"Yes?" she answered unsure, "The reason I tell you this is because _after_ I told that young man how he should find his own path, it made me realize what my path is as well..."

"What is it? Did you find your answer..?" Kaoru asked, she really had no idea what Kenshin was talking about! He kind of asked her a question but then drifts off leaving more questions unanswered.

"'_The strong live and the weak die'_..." he repeated with a smile, She noted that the blue kimono he was wearing really worked well with hs face. His air totally contrasted with the blue making it look brighter ad shinier than usual and with it about his face and cascading down his back she couldn't help but blush again as Kenshin sat there eyes closed smiling,

"_The world of the Meiji cannot be saved by kindness_...but you know what...Kaoru-dono..." he opened his eyes and she stared straight into them, "however strong people say **_Battousai_** is, **_Himura Kenshin_** will _always_ be _protected_ by the kindness my friends have given me..." he smiled and looked at Kaoru. "And so, to Himura Kenshin that reason is reason enough to keep on living."

Kaoru looked at him, blushing all the while but unable to turn away from his smile. She had never seen Kenshin smile so sincerely. "Kenshi—"

_Again..._

_That feeling..._

_Like the first time..._

Kenshin pulled Kaoru into another embrace not to say "_good-bye_" but to say "_thank you_" Kaoru felt tears of joy sting her eyes as she thought of all the possibilities she has now that she knows Kenshin at least loves her like as a savior.

Kaoru remembered the last sentences written like as small note Megumi needed to remind herself: '_brew the pot of the love potion tea and give some to the person you want to love you. He or she will soon begin to fall in love with you--All in fun - but good luck!'_

Kaoru realized..._Megumi was right_...this potion did _indeed_ work, if she hadn't made it would Kaoru be spending this most wonderful night with Kenshin like _this_?

_Some how she thought not_...

..._but somehow maybe... _

_...she should start believing in black magic_...


End file.
